Of Potters And Redheads
by just-my-addicted-little-self
Summary: According to Harry every Potter man of the past 50 years married a redheaded girl... Will James Jr. follow this tradition or will he bristle? What will Hogwarts have in store for him? a lot of mischief and maybe even a new kind of indulgence! NG JSPxOC
1. of a ridiculous discussion

**A/N:** Hello everyone!!! Thanks for giving this story of mine a try! I really hope you'll enjoy it. It's just a bit of silliness, really! ;) have fun!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything! It all belongs to JKR, I'm just borrowing a few characters for a while^^

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**OF POTTERS AND REDHEADS**

**Prolog  
**

of a ridiculous discussion

„Kids, Teddy is here!" Ginny Potter called over her shoulder while opening the front door for her husband's godson.

"Good thing, you made it for dinner, James has been edgy all day long – it was absolutely nerves racking!" she ushered the young man inside talking as if there wasn't a tomorrow, "he wouldn't admit it though, but he's pretty nervous about it."

"Gin, let the lad breathe! He's just arrived…" Harry laid his hands on his wife's shoulder smiling apologetically at the 17-year-old who stood in their entrance not knowing how to react to the strange outburst of his always so calm godmother; a woman who never lost her mind, her focus or her control of things. However, tonight she seemed rather out of it.

"Right, sorry, Teddy! I'm a bit nervous myself, you know I won't see him for four month… I know he's old enough but for my liking kids should stay with their mothers until they are 4o…" as Ginny kept babbling Harry led her and Teddy to the dining room, an amused look on his face. He had got used to her random outburst during the last few months when James' departure for Hogwarts was getting closer.

"So, Ted, how's your grandmother doing?" Harry asked as the two of them sat down while Ginny kept strolling through the room. Occasionally she would stop, pick up one of the many moving photographs of her children and mumble about the good old times.

Ignoring his godfather's question Teddy leaned towards him "Is she all right?" a concerned look on his face. The Potters had always acted as alternate parents for him, naturally the teenager was worried. But Harry only shot him a relaxed look; his brothers-in-law had gone through this multiple times, their kids were off to Hogwarts, their wives on the edges of breaking down. As for Teddy, the situation was highly confusing, never had he seen Ginny so vulnerable.

Her fingers traced a silver frame when a loud rumbling was to be heard on the first floor, followed by shouts and footsteps drumming down the staircase.

"Teddy"

"Ted, you're here!"

"Teeeeddyyyyyyyyyy", Lily Potter threw herself at her favorite big not-blood-related brother. Her chubby arms linked around his neck, "You made it. James and Al have been so mean to me, I' m so glad that you're here! You can get them back for me!" she giggled trying to sound hurt, "You will do that for me, won't you?" At her seven years she had already mastered the puppy eyes that got not only her dad but every male member of her family to do her bidding.

"Everything for you, my little princess" he smiled gently, then turned towards the boys who were hovering about the place by the stairs grinning mischievely . "Who's been a bad big bro? Those who threaten their younger sister, will be punished!" he let out a fake evil laugh.

"Ah, Teddy" Albus squealed, giggling helplessly while James tried to keep a straight face – he hopelessly failed doubling over with laughter as Teddy was the less intimidating person he knew. He admired his godbrother - as he called him – endlessly so he engaged in the playful bickering.

"No way, Ted, you will never get us" and with that he started to run pulling his little brother along and up the stairs. Teddy followed suit with Lily on his back "Who's scared of the big bad wolf?" he growled. James screamed kittenish. He immensely enjoyed his last day of childhood, tussling with his brother, nettling his sister, just acting childish… the real life would start soon enough but for now he was fully content being chased after by a turquoise-haired Teddy Lupin.

**xxXxx**

Little time later, the fife Potter plus Teddy were sitting around the big dining hall table. Ginny had cooked her son's favorite, roast beef and mashed potatoes. He dug in properly.

"Do they have roast beef at Hogwarts?" he asked in between bites, keeping his eyes on the plate in front of him, not addressing anyone in particular. His parents suppressed soft laughter.

"They do, they got every kind of food you can imagine", Harry answered smiling mildly.

"Every kind?", James looked at his father, his eyes getting bigger.

"Yes, every kind" Teddy joined the conversation, " roast beef, roast chicken, pork- and lamb chops…"

"sausages, bacon and steaks", Harry continued.

Ginny smiled, amused "potatoes, Yorkshire-pudding and vegetables…" a chuckle escaped her lips when James made gagging noises.

"and the desserts" Harry sighted dramatically.

"ice cream, rice pudding and the world's best apple crumble – " here, Teddy was interrupted by hid godfather: "actually, it's even better than your mum's" he smiled at his oldest son, mischief made his eyes twinkle.

"It is not" Ginny immediately protested.

"Sorry, honey, it is" Harry said in a grave tone pretending to bemoan this, "and we have always preached our children they shall not lie, I reckon it would be rather inconvenient to do so myself"

"Take that back" she screeched, her voice uncommonly high-pitched, her cheeks blushing fiercely.

"You want me to allow my children lying?" he acted bewildered.

"No, you pompous bas – "

"Mommy, don't" Lily Potter cut her off, pressing both her hands on her mother's lips preventing a full-blown outburst of swearwords. She had leaped over the table which cause her to now be laying on the table between the potatoes and the left overs of the beef. When Lily saw her mother's surprised look she broke into a fit of giggles, curling up on the table, making the dishes fall to the grounds. They clattered loudly on the newly flagged floor. There was dead silence.

"Ups", Lily muttered.

"Yeah, ups" a sour undertone in his voice, Harry lifted his daughter and pulled her up on his lap where she snuggled against him "sorry, daddy", Lily innocently squinted from under her long reddish-brown lashes.

"Not your fault, your mother can't put up with a little competition regarding her cooking" Harry joked. He hated it when his little girl was full of remorse for her spontaneous acting.

"I don't have to put up with it because your precious house elves do not cook better than me, and grandma Weasley's apple crumble is not overtrumped, never has been, never will be!" She looked stern. A frown creased her forehead. A small smile played on the right corner of her mouth, though.

"Sure, honey" he shot her a wry glance and towards his oldest son he whispered "Just make sure you get yourself a wife who knows she doesn't cook as nicely as a house elf –"

"you know it's impossible to cook like a house elf, even my gram's roast beef isn't as nice as theirs.." Teddy winked at Harry.

"What kind of advice is that you give your son? He should find a miserable cook for a wife?!" Ginny seemed on the edge of going mad.

"No, I only told him she should know that no one can put up with the elves" Harry grinned smugly.

"There are more important things to worry about now than finding a proper wife for your son, such as learning spells, studying the magic world's history and packing the last bits of his luggage; he's only eleven for crying out loud! This is a ridiculous conversation!"

"To you it may sound ridiculous, but he is a Potter!"

Ginny quizzically looked at her husband, arching an eye brow, "meaning what?"

"Meaning that he shouldn't go to Hogwarts unprepared; he should know what to look for…"

"You are not making any sense!" and with that Ginny stood up and started collecting the dishes, shooting annoyed glances at the boys, because today, Harry seemed like the 12-year-old he was that summer when he stayed at the Burrow and joked around with Ron, Fred and George, just as childish, just as senseless, just as mysterious.

"You know, my son, cooking skills and reality perception to and fro, here is what matters: she has to be red-haired!" He looked rather pleased with himself, daring his wife to protest.

But it was Teddy who spoke up "Uncle Harry, what are you on about? Why would it matter what hair color James' girl will have?"

"Because, my dearest godson" Harry said highfalutin "it is tradition! Every Potter man during the past hundred years has married a redhead. They are the only ones who can put up with our family traits –"

"You mean your stubbornness, your weakness to get into trouble, your problems with authority?!" Ginny cut in.

"Call it as you may; it is true though, there hasn't been a man in our family that didn't end up with a ginger" he smiled smugly, lightly tracing Ginny's hip when she walked past. Their loving gaze was interrupted by James' gagging noises.

"Urgh, that's disgusting, Dad, all the red-haired girls I know are Weasleys. I'm friggin blood-related to them", he looked deeply shaken.

"Muggles call that incest", Albus announced matter-of-factly.

"It wouldn't be incest if they were cousins" Harry explained.

"You could marry Rose then" little Lily added, proud to be able to follow the grown-ups' conversation.

James threw a piece of the mashed potatoes at her. "That'd be gross."

"There will be lots of other girls at Hogwarts, darling" Ginny soothed.

"True, Hogwart's got the finest witches in the country" Harry smiled at his own little joke, "just make sure, she's a natural ginger."

"Don't put that kind of nonsense into his head, Harry!" and to her son she said , "Don't listen to your father, darling, he's gone nuts! You'll find a fine girlfriend and her hair color won't matter at all."

"No, not her hair but her blood" James mumbled.

Dead silence.

"James Sirius Potter, you did not just say that!" Ginny shrieked. Her cheeks blushed fiercely. Her eyes tightened. Her mouth turned into a grim line. It was frightening. She was.

"No, I guess I didn't" James mouthed quietly, he ducked his head.

"Don't be giving me this attitude, mister! A muggle-born isn't any less a wizard than a pure-blood. Your aunt Hermione's parents are muggles and she is the smartest witch her age, always has been, always will be!"

"I know, mum, I'm sorry!"

"Where did you get this rag from anyways?"

No reply.

"James?!" his father's voice was threatening.

"From the daily prophet… Rita Skeeter's article about how magic is passed on better from one generation to the next by not mixing with muggle-borns…"

"This woman…" Ginny fumed "She should be banned from the magical society; she's no good! How can she publish something like that? I hate her, I hate her… she's done so much to destroy this family, to hurt us, to derogate us…"

"Gin, hon, calm down! I'll take care of that!" Harry pulled his wife towards him, but she refused, collected the dishes left and stalked off to the kitchen. After that, he turned to the kids.

"I do not want to hear anything of that kind in my house ever again. It is a horrible thing to say and I will not tolerate it; is that clear?"

"I'm sorry!" James said gravely.

"I know" Harry sighted "now, go to the living room and play a bit with Ted, I want to talk to your mother…"

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Comments? Thoughts? Criticism?

Everything is welcome!!!^^


	2. of goodbyes and maps

**A/N:** Hey everyone, though I had hoped for more reviews, I'll post the second chapter now anyways... Hopefully, you like it better!!! Let me know anyways!!!

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2. Chapter

Of good-byes and maps

The next morning had started early for James. His mother had woken him around nine a.m. as she knew how long it would take her three children to get up, dressed and in James case packed for Hogwarts. She was still pissed off by his comment the night before. Having spent the night at the Grimauld Place, their way to the train station King's Cross was shorter than from Godric's Hollow where they lived.

As Harry was pushing James' trolley through the train station, he spotted another family with a caged animal, a cat, on top of their single trolley. It felt strange not to recognize the man, his wife and their two daughters. Naturally Harry wouldn't know every single wizard in England but he was relatively sure that he was familiar with most of the parents of James' new class mates. Odds were that they would at least recognize him – years had passed but still people would stop and stare at him, it still annoyed the crap out of him, especially as he wished his kids would lead a normal life, with people neither questioning them about nor comparing them to their father.

However the man, probably a bit older than himself but not by much, didn't show any sign of cognition. Contemplating the reason of why this particular family captured his attention, he was nudged lightly by Ginny. He turned around, only to follow her little nod towards the fife people and their cat.

"They're attracting too much attention, don't you think?" she whispered.

Harry looked dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"They don't seem to know what to do" she shot him an annoyed glance, "I suppose they are muggles sending their first-born to Hogwarts. Why is no one picking them up?" she looked around.

When Ginny stated the obvious Harry suddenly knew why he didn't know the man, why he couldn't know him. Now he recognized the normal muggle clothing, that couldn't be perfectly imitated by any wizard trying not to attract curious looks while entering platform nine three-quarters.

Even though these fife looked as muggle-ish as possible, their lost looks along with the meowing cat they attracted plenty of unwelcome attention and curiosity when they asked the guard for a non-existing platform. Harry sighted. If no one was going to take care of them, they would probably end up exposing the entire magic community. He stopped the trolley, instructed his family to stay there and led his oldest son over to the unknown family.

"Hey there" he greeted cheerfully when he came within hearing range, he had thought it best to act as if he was meant to meet them there. "I've been looking everywhere for you; I'm Harry! This is my son James, a first year as well. My wife, Ginny, is over there" he indicated with a nod the direction.

The man's eyes widened until they fell upon Ginny who was waving friendly, and the owl on top of the suitcase beside her. He let out a sigh of relieve. "Thank god! We were completely lost; no one told us how to get to the train, said someone would pick us up…" he teared his hair, "Sorry" he continued pulling himself together again "I'm Pete, my wife Emily and my daughters, Erin and Paige."

Harry shook hands with the couple and smiled at the girls. The older one stood out remarkably. Her hair a bright red, her eyes a smoldering gold, her smile angelic.

**xxXxx**

James was nervous. Only from a distance he heard his father polite chatter, leading the way through the stone wall onto platform nine three-quarters. The big engine's steam obnubilated the place, voices were aloof, the entire situation seemed unreal. He couldn't believe that he was only a train ride away from Hogwarts. Realizing this, his heart beat quickened, his breath came irregularly, his face reddened in awe.

Suddenly, a cold hand clutched his wrist. He turned. She was closer than expected. Her golden eyes gleaming with excitement, a smile enlightening her whole face. In this instant he felt save, connected to her in some way, not alone, not scared.

"Yo, cuz, there you are, man" his cousin Fred was bouncing towards him, completely ignorant to the girl who immediately detached herself from James and locked her eyes to the ground, "We gotta go, get a compartment!"

James followed suit when Fred turned towards their parents who were talking to the muggles Harry had helped earlier. He shot a glance over his shoulder to where he had left the redhead. Somehow, he was feeling responsible for her. She looked tiny when she walked slowly towards her parents, tiny and lost.

"There you go, honey" James grandmother was saying to Fred Jr., handing him a few wrapped up sandwiches. She embraced the two of them tightly, "see you at Christmas!" she sniffed and turned to the older ones.

"Okay, darling, don't do anything stupid, be polite, don't get yourself into trouble, study hard and write to us, all right?" Ginny instructed James giving him a stern look, "I don't want to hear any complaints about you! Understood?" then she kissed and hugged him, struggling to hold back the tears behind a strong façade; she couldn't stay mad at him for long. She then continued to sooth a heart-breakingly crying Lily who didn't wish for anything more than go to Hogwarts with her big brother.

James kneeled down in front of her, "Hey, sis, don't worry! You'll have lots of fun with Ma and Dad, you can play pranks on Al as well if you want – you won't notice I'm gone and before you can say 'quidditch' I'll be home for Christmas, kay?" he playfully punched her shoulder.

"Can I go into your room while you're gone?"

"Umm…" he hesitated, "Sure, but don't mess up my stuff!"

"Sure" she smile as innocently as possible and hugged his leg, then ran to her mother.

Harry had witnessed this scene between his children, pride warmed him from inside, his oldest was generous enough and would surely make his way. How different this good-bye was from the one when he started school. He had been on his own. But it was the best day of his life, leaving the Dursleys, meeting the Weasleys. Automatically, he looked for Ginny; it was right here where he had spotted her for the first time, never would he have guessed this outcome for the two of them. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Have a good year, son!" There was nothing more to say. He knew that James Potter would emulate his namesake and would do lots of stupid stuff, get himself into trouble countless times during the following years; it was not to be expected elsewise. James resembled Sirius in so many ways, the sparkling of his eyes, the grin on his face, they were full of mischief and imbecility. The time had come for a new pair of Marauders; Sirius and James, Fred and George, and now following suit, Fred and James.

"I'll be fine, won't I?" James asked, uncertainty taking over for just a second.

"Yes, you will!"

"Thanks, Dad!" a smile spread across his face. They hugged shortly and James vanished in the steam.

**xxXxx**

"This one's free" Fred shouted from the other end of the wagon. They claimed the entire compartment for themselves, barricaded the door and opened the window to wave at their parents. When the train had taken off and steadied its pace into a comfortable rattling, the boys turned to their lunch packages.

"Uh, that is so typical of grandma Weasley… sandwiches" Fred pulled a disgusted face.

"Don't be complaining; at least you got something… after what I said last night Ma didn't even bother to make them herself or even hex them quickly, no, she bought them at a muggle store… I mean, what the hippogriff?"

That moment, they heard a knock on the door followed by Teddy Lupin. "Hey, guys, I just wanted to check on you, make sure you found a compartment. The others are down the corridor that way" the others that were James' older cousins Victoire, Lucy, Molly, Dominique, and Roxanne, "If you need anything…"

"Ted, we aren't babies, we'll be grand" Fred ushered him out, grinning at James who nodded supportingly.

"Yeah, I know" Teddy stuck his head out of the compartment as if to make sure no one was within hearing range. He took a deep breath and closed the door behind him.

"listen, guys, I got something for you. It is a secret and no one can know that I gave it to you, okay? We would all get into big trouble, Filch would get his dirty hands on it again and your next seven years would be rather boring I guess…" he sighted gravely.

"Ted, stop beating around the bush! What is it?" James was twitching on the edge of his seat.

"All right, have you two ever heard of the "Marauder's Map"?"

Having expected something as exciting as his father's invisibility cloak James' face dropped.

"A map?" Fred asked skeptically.

"Obviously you haven't" Teddy answered his own question "and there's a good reason why you haven't…"

"Let me guess, it's a secret?!" James spat, he was highly annoyed "Ted, we may be first years but we aren't dumb you know!"

"I know, James, which is why I decided to give it to you know rather than in third year as your father intended it to become a tradition. I just think, you two would get yourselves into too much trouble without it – "

"Teddy" Fred moaned "I'm growing old over here!"

"All right, all right" he pulled an inconspicuous piece of parchment out of his pocket "this, fellows, is the infamous marauder's map created by its splendid masters back in the days when the darkest wizard of all times was no more than a faint glow on the horizon, it was kept secret by their successors who throughout the years have achieved a lot of mischief guided by its great magic; pranks were played, lives saved and love found. Its history is long but will continue long after we will have passed it on to our offsprings; generation after generation will be taught and helped by the greatest mischief-makers Hogwarts has ever seen" here Teddy paused to catch his breath.

James' and Fred's eyes had lost focus by the mentioning of pranks, their heads now filled a thousand ideas how to prank the Slytherins of which they had only heard negative stuff from the Weasley part of their family, unknown but already suspected to be hateful teachers and Filch the ever-miserable caretaker.

"How come no one ever told us about it?"

"As I said it was kept a secret, Fred, no one – except for a few selected – knows about this map. Some heard rumors of its existence but there never was a proof. Filch had it locked in his office for years, that's where your uncles, Fred and George, found it when Filch meant to punish them for one of their pranks. It took them a while but eventually they figured out how to use it and passed it on to your Dad, James, in his third year."

"What I haven't understood yet how it is supposed to help anyone… it's a map, all right, what does it show?"

"It shows Hogwarts, all of Hogwarts" he let this sank in.

"You mean, not only the class rooms, the kitchen, the common rooms and teachers' offices but secret passages?" James' eyes widened.

"Secret passages, how to access them, even every person at school is shown…"

"People as well? Awesome!" James punched the air, a huge grin on his face.

"Secret passages… I knew there were secret passages at Hogwarts" Fred kept mumbling to himself "I just knew… Can't believe Roxie never told me about them!"

"I suppose your sister doesn't know about them or at least not about all of them… she's only in third year now, I didn't start to look for ways to sneak out of the castle until then either. Normally first and second years are too timid to break the rules, but I got a feeling you two wouldn't be, so I might as well help you not to get kicked out of Hogwarts before Christmas" Teddy smiled. Though he had never met the original Marauders or the chaos twins, Fred and George, he had heard many of their stories and recognized all the similarities to the two sitting opposite him. He owed it to his godfather to look after his son, and if he couldn't prevent the jokes and pranks and trouble – he had way too much reality perception than to delude himself into believing they would be good – he would at least make sure their mothers wouldn't get wind of it. In that way, he was much like his own father who had spent his years at school with looking after his friends.

"So, Ted, tell us how to use it" James asked eagerly.

"Okay, point your wand like this, say 'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good' and it will appear…" as he was instructing them, a thin black line emerged on the parchment drawing smoothly the words "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, purveyors of aids to magical mischief-makers, are proud to present the Marauders Map".

"Wow" as the lines became more and more and soon covered the entire parchment, the boys' eyes started to sparkle, their heart beats to pick up pace, their breathing rate to become erratic.

"Where do those gangways lead to?" Fred asked tracing one line, cut off by the map's edge, with his finger.

"That you will have to find out yourselves, boys" Teddy answered standing up.

"But Ted, shouldn't you be all responsible and up-tight about that kind of thing, seeing you're head boy and all…" James mocked.

"I should, and as soon as we reach the castle, I will not tolerate any sneaking around, pranking, or any other kind of disrespectfulness by you two. I will be your cousin, your friend, whatever, but I will also be as strict with you as with any other student testing their boundaries, not obeying or breaking the rules. Clear?"

"Yes, sir" the two saluted.

Teddy grinned "You never got that from me, you never heard about it if anyone asks and don't forget to cover it up after use, okay?"

"How?"

"By saying 'mischief managed'" he winked and exited the compartment.

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Thoughts? Comments? Criticism? Please, let me know!!! Thx!!!


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